Kabul fell to the Taliban last Sunday, and the evacuation through Hamid Karzai airport, which is still in the hands of foreign forces, created chaos, killing at least 12 people in the uprising.
Under these circumstances, it is safer to stay at home or wait outside in a safe place
The German Embassy in Kabul wrote to German citizens in the country. He added that anyone trying to reach the airport does so at their own risk. The US Embassy also called on US citizens to avoid the airport due to security threats unless the authorities instruct someone to do so.
The Afghan Civil Aviation Authority said during the day that the airport would no longer accept civilian and commercial flights.
Those trying to leave the country are now only fleeing to neighboring countries on military planesFrom where they are transported on civilian flights. However, due to the increasingly chaotic situation around Kabul airport, they are often unable to fill military planes because many of those who are allowed to board are unable to reach the airport.
Switzerland, for example, postponed its charter flight to Uzbekistan to have people evacuated at its request because few of their nationals arrived at Kabul airport.
Tens of thousands want to enter the airport area, waiting hopelessly at the fences, while those trying to reach the airport can get stuck at Taliban checkpoints set up in the city. Incidentally, the Taliban invited those without travel documents to return home. CNN reported that the distribution of refugees and the launching of military evacuation planes are taking place in the airport area in the meantime.
Even in the midst of a difficult situation, everything is being done to evacuate German citizens and Afghan aides, said Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, head of the German Ministry of Defense, at a press conference in Berlin. To date, German military aircraft have evacuated more than 1,800 people to Tashkent, where they were able to continue their flight to Germany with civilian aircraft.
Two German army helicopters arrived in Kabul on Saturday to help evacuate people from the city. German forces could only evacuate people who had arrived at the airport, but this too was beginning to become increasingly dangerous and difficult, a situation well illustrated by the fact that many planes had to take off with only a few passengers.
The United States ordered two small helicopters H-145M from German special forces. General Eberhard Zorn, commander-in-chief of the German Army, said US forces largely had larger helicopters, but that smaller aircraft were needed in urban environments, and said they would save people from where they were able to assemble themselves.
“It’s a real air operation, not a taxi service,” Zorn emphasized. As he said, the planes are designed to land in densely built areas.
Cover Photo: Getty Images
